Stacie B.
Yelp
In a tucked away corner of Horton Bay is a quaint store which also serves shareable meals several nights a week. After seeing their sign we called and made reservations for Saturday night. We talked to the chef about our dietary restrictions and she assured us it wouldn't be an issue.
Upon arriving we entered through a side door into the general store proper, which is just one large room with some items for sale (beer and wine) and other fun antiques to peruse. During the day they sell food things and coffee so next time we might try to check out their daytime options.
We were greeted immediately and told to choose a beverage. If you choose wine just note you are purchasing the whole bottle. There is water on the table in case you don't find something to your liking, but as we didn't know that we chose wine. It was a bit much for two people to finish and then drive, so next time we would come with others or choose something smaller. Regardless the wine was a nice touch.
The meal is served outside in a small garden like area surrounded by hedges so it feels intimate and secluded. You are right next to the other guests so there ends up being a lot of cross table taking/eavesdropping. The tables are iron and quite cute if a bit rickety.
The menu is one page of shareable dishes (called tapas but if you are thinking Spanish tapas this is not that at all) at around $20 per item. There wasn't actually anything vegan on the menu but a few that could be vegetarian. Make sure to ask for additional options for sensitivities, as only afterwards when paying did the chef mention she could have done something vegan for us. We had mentioned it at the start of the meal but she was a bit distracted and said so eggs are ok right? Not wanting to cause a scene we agreed but I knew it wasn't going to end well for me.
The salad was our favorite with pickled onions that were surprisingly tart and perfect with the other salad additions. We also ordered the frittata (as still hungry) which smelled delicious and had a nice creamy texture and gooey cheese. Then we got a pepper dish which was supposed to be a spread but was really more of a hash/stir fry. It was quite tasty and would have been a better option than the frittata for us.
I loved the garden feel as you could hear the trees whispering above you and imagine you were in a fairy tale. The service was excellent and overall the experience was memorable and tasty. I did feel the food was a bit pricey for the portions, and perhaps if you bring children then each dish serves 4 but not adults who have been out hiking or active. It was worth the history and ambience for a fun experience. We might try another spot in the future but this is definitely worth checking out at least once for the overall evening experience.